Tapani Kokko
LUCKY DAY, The Summer Exhibition of Contemporary Art at Purnu
Purnu, Finland
June 6 - August 10, 2025
LUCKY DAY, the summer exhibition of contemporary art at Purnu, open from June 15 to August 10, 2025, brings together colorfulness, playfulness, memories, and dreams — but also a sense of wistfulness, the passage of time, and the limitations of life.
The exhibition's themes are explored through works by artists including Kirsti Tuokko, Tapani Kokko, and Tiina Elina Nurminen.
Kirsti Tuokko (b. 1943) presents paintings from 2024–2025 that appear as paradoxical performances, where dressing up, posing, and self-representation — along with the associated acts of production and consumption — evoke both joy and pleasure, as well as deep guilt. Tuokko places figures on a stage, exposing themselves to the gaze, yearning for it while asking: Did I succeed? She replaces traditional portrait models with androgynous, abstract sketches of humanity and the spirit of the times, surging forward.
Tapani Kokko (b. 1969) exhibits wooden sculptures and reliefs from 2024 that highlight the characteristic features of Rococo — ornamentation, play, and spontaneity. His decorative and dramatic approach accentuates his visual language and subject matter, where alongside female figures appear birds, frogs, and skeletons. Kokko reaches toward the traditions of sculpture with a distinctive boldness and a method influenced by ITE art (“self-made life”), capturing human themes and characters.
Tiina Elina Nurminen (b. 1967) is known for her delicate yet breathlessly powerful brushstrokes, which lead the viewer to the essential elements of painting — light, color, and line — forming moments, memories, and encounters that hold deep personal meaning for the artist. Moments spent in nature, everyday surroundings, and emotions are given time to take shape on canvas, guiding the artist with a sensitive ear. Nurminen moves between expressionism and romanticism, at times leaping into abstraction. The Purnu summer exhibition presents her paintings from the years 2020–2025.
Purnu
Mustasaari 63, Orivesi, Finland
OPENING HOURS
Every Day, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
